The Origins of Evil
by bookfreak16
Summary: Bellatrix Lestrange was not born evil and cruel. She has a past and that is what shaped her into who she became.This is how I imagine Bellatrix got mixed up with Death eaters and Voldemort.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I never have owned Harry Potter and I never will own Harry Potter. **

**AN: This is my first fanfic and I would really appreciate reviews so I know how I've done. Thanks. Also I know the ages here might not be right but the ages need to be like this to fit into the story. For example, I'm sure Bellatrix is a lot older than Sirius but here she's just a year older. I'll try and make the rest of it as close to the books as possible.**

Chapter One: Introducing the Blacks

Bellatrix sat on one of the twin beds, staring into space. Grimauld Place lived up to its name; it was indeed a grim old place. Bellatrix was ten and was condemned to stay with her aunt, uncle and cousins while her father was in Egypt dealing in dark artefacts. She didn't even have her sisters for company, and as much as Bella hated to admit it they were her only friends.

They were off at Hogwarts having fun and learning magic while she was left here with a nine year old and a seven year old, the latter not even showing any signs of magic yet. Bellatrix sometimes hoped he was a squib; it would serve her dear old aunt Anatonia right. She was always harping on about the pureness of the blood, constantly repeating the black family motto _toujours pur_. Although, Bellatrix did pity her cousin. If Regulus didn't show magic soon she wouldn't put it past Anatonia to kill him herself, there could be no chance of the pure Black line being endangered, even though Anatonia herself wasn't a Black. Her maiden name was Rothen.

Belatrix's mother had died when she was quite young and since then she had spent a lot of time in Grimauld place. Her father had taken it badly so his children ended up spending a lot of time with his brother Arcturus and his wife.

Bellatrix didn't have long to go though, her father would be away until halfway through the summer holidays but when they got back she would returning to Blackbeach Manor with her family and then she would be off to Hogwarts herself. She would be turning eleven in little over a month's time then it would be one more month before the holidays and then she would finally be learning magic with her sisters.

She looked out of the small dusty window, it was getting dark and the room hardly needed to be any drearier. She pulled an extinguished candle towards her; she stared at it, concentration clear on her face. _Light, _she thought,_ Light_, but nothing happened. She closed her eyes and thought of her aunt shouting at her for not acting like a pure blood, she thought of her father telling her he would be away for over a year, She thought of her sisters who had only once written to her. She opened her eyes, the candle was lit and the flame was burning brightly. She smiled and dreamed of the day when it would only take a word and the flick of a wand to do that.

"Dinner is ready Mistress Bella" said the young house elf from the doorway; he had only recently replaced his mother whose head was now hanging on the wall downstairs. Bella liked the house elf, well as much as you _could_ like a house elf though he idolised her aunt.

"Thanks Kreacher" Bellatrix replied before going to the mirror beside the door.

She looked at her long, pale face. Her hair fell in long ebony curls matching her black dress which she smoothed out before going down stairs for dinner. She knew she was pretty but she hoped that when she was older she would be beautiful like her sister Narcissa.

From what she had heard from Andromeda in the only letter she had sent her at the start of the year, Narcissa was the most popular Slytherin in forth year. Boys adored her and everyone assumed that she would be the female house prefect next year. Bella hoped that one day people would love her like they loved her sister.

Andromeda was having a different year than Cissy. It was her first year and the family were not happy when they discovered that she was the first Black in years to be sorted into Ravenclaw. They had calmed down eventually though, at least it wasn't Gryffindor.

The inhabitants of Grimauld Place ate in the dining room on the ground floor. It was always a sombre, formal affair. Anatonia glanced at Bellatrix as she entered but went back to talking Bella's uncle Arcturus when she saw nothing to criticise.

"I've been saying for years that we wizards would suffer for our kindness to muggles, and I'm not the only one either!" Anatonia was saying. "It's about time we stood up and took back what was ours! Why do you think the ministry haven't yet discovered these muggle killers going about? It's because secretly they agree with them!"

Bellatrix watched as her aunt folded up the daily prophet and placed it on a table behind her while Kreature served up the soup. She could barely make out the headline _Muggle killings continue: how long until they become suspicious?_

"Ana, the reason they haven't found them is because they are too powerful. There are rumours that they are being led by a dark wizard who is even more powerful than Grindlewald! I'm sure they will put in extra effort if they target muggleborns and halfbloods" Arcturus said.

"Who cares if they get mudbloods and the brats of blood traitors? We must rid ourselves of the impure if we wish to be strong!"

"I agree with you Ana but it would be better if we kept them ignorant of their magic. Let the mudbloods live like muggles and they wouldn't be a problem, and as for halfbloods, they _are _still wizards Ana."

"They don't deserve the name" she muttered. "Don't slurp Bellatrix!" she snapped

This was normally what would happen. Anatonia would start to rant, Arcturus would question parts of it until she put so much effort into defending herself she strayed from the main point and then she would snap at one of the children out of frustration. Arcturus was a hard person to argue with; he was so sure of himself and was perfectly balanced between agreement and disagreement so that no one could argue with him without disagreeing with themselves.

However, although he was milder than his wife he shared the same views and although he challenged her about her more controversial views it was because Ana's rants could last for hours when she got started, not because he actually disagreed with her. In fact, Anatonia and Arcturus often talked about seeking out the muggle killers themselves when they thought the children couldn't hear. They decided against it only because they knew that soon everything would kick off and it would become dangerous for themselves and their family.

Bella's aunt and uncle continued to talk while they ate their way through three courses. Bellatrix, Regulus and Sirius knew to stay quiet, only speaking to ask someone to pass the salt. She knew that they strongly believed in the saying _Children should be seen and not heard _and all three of the children were greatly intimidated by both of the adults.

After dinner she went back up to her room without talking to anyone. It was then that she realised that she had barely spoken all day, and what she had said had been to the _house elf,_ that was depressing.

It was hard for Bella to live in Grimauld place, she was lonely. Regulus was too young to talk to and Sirius jumped between picking on her and spilling out his feelings, expecting her to do the same. He sensed that she too hated Grimauld place. She missed her sisters, but she was afraid she was losing them, Cissy and Dromeda where becoming closer while at school and Bella was left behind in this miserable dump.

Her only real company was the portrait of Phineas Nigellus that hung in her room, his sarcastic comments only made her feel worse.

"Typical, instead of enjoying the benefits of youth you sit around moping. You believe that you are totally isolated and alone. That is why I find teenagers so _insufferable, _they act so _misunderstood_." He said when he told her she was lonely.

It was hard to sleep with him droning on and on about _teenagers_ and _hormones_ and _isolation _so when he finally left his portrait Bella fell into an exhausted sleep. It felt like she had just hit the pillow when she was woken up by shouting.

"You stupid, clumsy boy!" Anatonia screamed. "Waking everyone up at this time, sneaking downstairs! Why?" Bellatrix heard a whimper and went out in her night dress to see what the commotion was.

On the first floor landing Regulus was sprawled on the floor whimpering as Anatonia bent over him with her wand. At first Bella thought she was torturing him but then she noticed the uncharacteristic expression of worry on her aunt's face and Sirius' expression of horror as he watched. It was then that she noticed that Regulus' leg was bent at a strange angle.

"What's going on?" she asked Sirius.

"He tried to sneak downstairs to go to the bathroom, in the dark cause he didn't want to wake us but tripped, we think his leg is broken" he whispered.

She watched as her aunt began the slow process of mending the leg with magic. Bella could see the leg beginning to slowly straighten. It was strange and horrifying to watch but Bella stood there beside Sirius transfixed.

Both of them jumped when Arcturus ran down the stairs. He seemed to guess what had happened and for a moment he stood, saying nothing but when he spoke it was in a tone so cold Bella couldn't believe it came from him.

"Leave him Anatonia, if he didn't use magic to stop himself then why should we use magic to heal him?"

Everyone stared at him in shock as he walked back up the stairs and after a seconds hesitation Anatonia put her wand in her dressing gown pocket.

"You two, help me get him up stairs." She said in a shaking voice. They stood still, not knowing what to do.

"NOW" she screamed.

They helped her half carry half drag Regulus up the stairs and to his bedroom. His leg was still crooked and he whimpered pitifully. Once he was in bed Anatonia rushed them out of the room.

"Leave him. You are not to speak to him at all, understand?" she said, her voice was steady once more and they nodded, terrified. "Go then" she said before storming off to her room.

"What do we do?" Sirius asked her.

"Leave him and go back to bed I guess. We don't have any choice…"

"We could help him!"

"How can we do that? We're no use to him if she locks us in our rooms too!" Bellatrix whispered. Sirius stayed silent, staring at the floor.

"What if he really is a squib?" he whispered.

"I don't know, Sirius, I really don't" she said before walking back to her own room and going back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Finally a friend

**AN: If you see any 'Edmunds' in this chapter you should know that he is actually Arcturus. I changed it and because I can't find the 'find and replace' function on Microsoft word 2010 I had to do it one by one and I missed out a couple. I've changed it now but please forgive me if I let the odd 'Edmund' slip. **

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter.**

When Bellatrix woke up she hoped it was a dream, but as soon as she went into the kitchen she knew that it was wishful thinking. No one spoke to each other for a long time before Anatonia addressed Kreature.

"Take some food up to my son" she commanded.

"No!" said Arcturus "Leave it Kreacher"

"Mistress?" said Kreature.

"Do as your master says" she said before returning to her eggs.

Bella and Sirius exchanged a look; they were both thinking the same thing, were they planning to starve magic out of him?

Bellatrix couldn't stay in the house any longer, she needed to get away. She wasn't particularly fond of Regulus but he didn't deserve to lie in pain, to be kept hungry just because he couldn't prove that he was magic. She didn't want any part in it.

"Uncle Arcturus, Aunt Ana can I go outside?" she asked.

They nodded. "Stay close and away from the muggles" said Arcturus.

The fresh air was bliss; she hadn't been outside in such a long time. She walked along the street until she came to an old rundown park where she sat on one of the swings. It was deserted; parents who lived in this neighbourhood weren't the kind to take their children to the park.

She sat there for a while before a girl about the same age as her appeared and sat on the other swing. She was quite obviously a muggle; she was wearing a pink skirt with a colourful stripy jumper and her hair was in pig tails. Bella ignored her.

"Hi my names Rachel, What's yours?" she said, Bella was shocked at how easily she could speak to a total stranger, so shocked that she actually answered her.

"Bellatri…" she began, but then she realised how strange her name was and quickly said "Bella, just Bella."

"Where do you stay?" The girl asked, Bella pointed vaguely towards Grimauld place.

"I'm that way" the girl said pointing in the other direction.

"There aren't many children here, I'm alone mostly. Have you stayed here long?" The girl asked

"Almost a year, I stay inside most of the time"

"Don't you go to school?"

"Not really, my aunt teaches me and my cousins some things though" Bellatrix said. It was normal for magical children to be home schooled until they went to Hogwarts, that way they knew the basics but didn't risk exposure. A few wizard children went to muggle school, but never the purebloods. The muggleborns obviously had no choice.

"You don't need to go to school, really?" The girl said incredulously, "I wish I never had to go to school" she continued.

"What's it like?" Bella asked, surprising herself.

The girls sat talking for hours before Bella realised she had better get home.

"I need to go…"

"OK. Do you want to meet again tomorrow?"

"Yeah" Bella said, surprising herself further.

"See you" The girl said happily before skipping away.

Bella walked back confused. She felt so much happier now that she had talked to someone. She felt lighter; she had a friend at last! Then it hit her, she had made friends with a _muggle_! Since she was old enough to listen she had been taught that muggles were vermin that were inferior to them, and yet she felt so good now that she had a real friend, someone who wasn't family. It was hard to see Rachel as any different as herself, so what if she couldn't do magic? Why should Bella care if Rachel was a muggle if it meant she had a friend? She decided she would go back the next day.

Walking back into Grimauld place was like a physical blow. For a while she had felt normal. She had felt happy for the first time in months and that place sucked it away from her like a dementor. She went up to her room to get changed before looking for the others. She found them in the dining room, sitting with empty plates.

"You missed lunch. Why?" said her aunt.

"Sorry, I got carried away" She replied, she noticed that Regulus wasn't there.

"That's not good enough. Kreature, under no circumstances are you to give Bella any food until dinner, understand?"

"Yes Mistress" croaked the elf.

"If you weren't hungry enough to come back in time then I'm sure another wait won't kill you" Anatonia said in an intimidating hiss.

"So you're just going to starve me like your starving Regulus?" She said although her voice louder than intended.

"That is not your concern and I would be careful if I were you Bella unless you want to go without dinner as well" said Arcturus smoothly.

Bella felt the anger rise and the table began to shake, plates crashed to the floor. She could feel the magic pouring out of her and it felt good.

"Finite incantatum" said Arcturus, flicking his wand, and it stopped. "Go to your room now Bella" he said without expression.

Bella stormed out, Sirius looked at her with a gaze that was frightened but also admiring but she didn't notice she just walked up the stairs. She passed her own room and continued to walk upwards 'till she got to her little cousins room and opened the door.

Regulus was lying propped up on the bed, his face was streaked with tears and he was whimpering at every movement. She sat beside him on the bed as he cried, they didn't speak and she put her hand on his shoulder, comforting him and wishing that someone would comfort her.

She stayed there for a while before she got up and left without saying a word. She went down to her bedroom and lied face down on the bed, crying for the second time in her life. At some point the door opened and Kreature announced that dinner was ready but she didn't move or speak and he left. She hated it in Grimauld place, she wanted to leave. She had no one to talk to and no one wanted to talk to her. She wanted her sisters but they didn't want her either, they had written once and that was once more than her parents had, she felt so alone. Eventually she realised that it was late and she was hungry.

"Kreature?" she said uncertainly. There was a crack and the elf appeared holding a tray.

"Mistress told me to give you this if you called, Miss Bellatrix" on the tray was half a baguette, a glob of butter, a bowl of grapes and a glass of water. Bella was too tired and hungry to complain and Kreature left without a word. Once she ate she lay back and fell asleep without undressing.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Bellatrix will be in Hogwarts soon and it should get more interesting. I really like this idea but I have another one I want to try as well that I might start if enough people like this one. Thank you Bookreader15 for my first review, yippee. **

Chapter 3 Dirt in the blood

Eventually Anatonia used magic to heal Regulus' leg so that they could avoid a trip to St Mungo's. Anatonia and Arcturus began to ignore Regulus and were barely talking to him, Regulus also became the new object for Anatonia's criticism which Bella wasn't entirely unhappy about. However Bellatrix also felt guilty, it was hard on Regulus to be treated like he had done something wrong when he didn't understand what it was and both Bella and Sirius knew it.

The other two children began to ignore Regulus as well as they were afraid that Anatonia and Arcturus would turn their anger on them instead. Regulus became sulky and withdrawn and instead of his eighth birthday being a cause for celebration it was just a reminder that he had failed to produce any magic yet.

Bella continued to meet Rachel and soon they were best friends. She didn't dare mention her to anyone, she knew that if it was discovered that she was friends with a muggle she would be punished worse than even Regulus.

She could talk to Rachel, she could even tell her about her family although she couldn't mention magic. Bella was surprised to find that Rachel needed her just as much as she needed Rachel. One day they were sitting on a wall behind the playground when they started talking about their families for the first time.

"Bella, I don't think my mum and dad like each other very much" Rachel said uncertainly.

"Why do you say that?"

"They shout a lot and hit each other sometimes" she said and Bella felt a rush of sympathy for her.

"I don't think my family likes me much" Bella replied.

"How do you know?"

"They don't pay attention to me, they don't care. My sisters are too busy at school, my dad is too busy in Egypt and my aunt and uncle don't have a loving bone in their bodies, they don't like their own children very much never mind me" Bella let it all go, she had never told anyone exactly how she felt even though Sirius had tried to get her to.

"My parents don't talk to me a lot but I think they like me" Rachel said and they left the conversation there, though they returned to it in the future.

Bella met Rachel in the park almost every day and soon Rachel took her to her house. Bella had been worried that Rachel's parents wouldn't like it but Rachel assured her that they wouldn't mind. Rachel's house was dreary like all the houses in that part of London but her room was colourful and cheery. The walls were pink and green and her bed covers were orange. All the furniture was either black or white and the carpet was purple. Bella loved the fact that everything clashed as there wasn't anything like it in Grimauld place. Bella was also introduced to Rachel's sister Ella. She was a sweet and shy five year old girl that Rachel was very protective of.

Bella knew that everything about her friend's family screamed muggle and Bella found herself rethinking many things that she had always thought to be fact. She had always blindly believed everything that she had been taught about muggles but she was beginning to feel that they weren't so different.

Every once in a while Rachel would ask if she could go to Bella's house. Bella dreaded her asking this as she knew that it could never happen. Once she had accidentally told her the address of Grimauld place. This was a big mistake as the house had the same enchantments on it as the leaky Cauldron; if someone knew without a doubt that it was there they could see it. The muggles in the neighbourhood couldn't as they had grown used to the fact that there was no number 12. It wasn't as strong as the Fidelious charm (I know it isn't spelt correctly, sorry) but it kept the muggles away.

When Bella went back to Grimauld place each night she couldn't help but worry what her family would do if they found out about Rachel. She didn't know who she was worried about the most; herself, her friend or Rachel's family.

Bella was not the only Black with a lot on her mind; Regulus also began spending time outside Grimauld Place, mostly because no one inside the house had a nice thing to say to him. Sirius felt guilty but Anatonia had made it clear to him especially that he should make no effort to comfort his brother. The Black's wanted Regulus kept as miserable as possible. Bellatrix heard them talking one night about Regulus and the situation as a whole.

"It has been a while but you have to remember that some wizards don't show any magic until eight or nine" said Arcturus.

"Sirius started using it at five, as did Bellatrix. It's normal for mudbloods to show a bit later but not pure bloods, not my son!" Ana screamed.

"I am as worried as you are but it's not fair on him for us to just give up."

Bella heard many conversations like this by listening at the drawing room door at night and so did Regulus, though the rest of the family didn't know it. Regulus began to follow Bella when she went outside, for something to do if nothing else but Bella never noticed.

Regulus soon knew Bella's big secret and at first he had no intention of exposing her, but soon he was tempted if only so that his parents would leave him alone. He made up his mind when one night at dinner Kreature only brought in four puddings and neglected to give him any. Later he would realise that it was a stupid reason to do what he did but he was only eight after all.

That night Bella heard Regulus creep down the stairs and went out onto the landing to see what was going on. She saw him standing by the drawing room door on the floor below and she moved into the shadows. She knew that he would see her if he looked up but his gaze was fixed on the room. He opened the door and stepped inside. Bella slowly moved towards the door so that she could hear.

"Mother, Father, there's something you should know" he said uncertainly.

Bella tried to move closer to the room but his next words were so quiet it was impossible to hear. A moment later however she heard a shout and jumped away from the door.

"Where is she? I'll _kill _her, the filthy blood traitor!" Bella was surprised to hear this come from her uncle not her aunt, then the door flew open and all she could hear was "crucio" before she fell to the ground in agony. It felt like she was being stabbed by red hot knives all over her body, the pain was overwhelming.

It felt like forever before it stopped and she was dragged painfully into her room and thrown on the bed.

"Regulus, out!" said Anatonia.

"Is it true? You made friends with a muggle, with filth?" said Arcturus. Bella didn't answer.

"Crucio!" said her aunt again and Bella fell on the bed in pain once more.

"Tell us the truth! Is that where you have been going every day?" he said again and again Bella didn't answer.

"Cruci…"

"Yes, yes it is. Please don't hurt me" she whimpered. They were silent for a moment.

"What's her name? Where does she stay?" he asked.

"Don't hurt her!"

"Crucio! Answer the question!" her aunt said again.

"Rachel, Falling Way" she said, referring to the small slopping street where she knew her friend stayed. When the pain stopped she could see her aunt and uncle staring at her in disgust. They left the room and Bella heard her uncle mutter the spell that would lock her in her room

She was kept there for over a week. Her food was brought to her by Kreacher who was under instructions not to speak to her and she was allowed out only to use the bathroom. It was her birthday before she left her small bedroom again. Kreature came in at about 5 o'clock.

"I have to tell you to be ready for dinner in an hour miss Bella and to give you these" he said, handing her two newspapers; one was the local muggle press and the other was the daily prophet. She looked at the muggle one first.

MORE ATTACKS, GOVERNMENT TO BLAME?

_A family of four was found dead in their home yesterday. The door was locked from the inside and the cause of death is yet unknown. This is the fifth in a series of mysterious deaths plaguing the country, are the police to blame?_

_Eric and Matilda Mathews and their two children, Rachel and Ella Mathews lived in London and it is believed that it was the work of a local gang who would have the resources to poison the young family. The gang in question has evaded capture many times at the hands of the police and the question remains, are there enough police in London?_

The article continued but Bella didn't read it. She let the muggle newspaper slip from her hands and sat on the bed in shock. She picked up the wizarding paper next; it couldn't make her feel any worse. It took her a while to find the article that she knew must be there as it was tiny

FAMILY OF FOUR DEAD

_A muggle family of four was found dead in London yesterday. The murders are thought to be the work of the killing curse. There is a wizard family who lives nearby, however Aurours have questioned them and do not believe that they were involved. The muggle authorities believe it was the work of a muggle gang. _

Bella looked to see if there was more but there was nothing. Grief was replaced with anger that was then pushed aside by grief. This was her fault and she knew it. Her Aunt and uncle might not have killed the family themselves, but they had definitely been somehow involved.

Bella went for a shower in an attempt to wash away her anguish. She stopped herself from falling apart by pretending it didn't matter, that Rachel didn't matter, that the deaths of muggles didn't matter. _She was filth, better this way, she was only vermin _she kept telling herself this and she knew that if she kept at it then the pain would dull and she would start to believe it herself.

**AN: I know that Rachel was barely in it but I wanted to start portraying Bella as a psychopath as soon as I could so I couldn't keep Rachel in it for more than a chapter or two. This story is intended to be the story of Bellatrix that we never get to see so there won't be one main plot line, just a lot of mini ones.**


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